[Use of ultrafiltration in refractory cardiac decompensation]

Traditional therapy for heart failure (diuretics, digitalic compound, vasodilators, inodilatory ACE-inhibitors) cannot arrest the progressive overloading of the circulatory system so that it is inevitable that a refractory stage to all forms of treatment will be reached when more specialised techniques, such as heart transplant and ultrafiltration will be needed. The paper reports the results obtained in 13 patients in ultrafiltration treatment for refractory heart failure: in the majority of these, a marked improvement in general conditions (edema, dyspnea) was recorded together with a regression from class 5 to class 3 NYHA in 5 patients, and to class 2 for others. The ultrafiltration method in spite of not altering the prognosis which remains negative in these patients, allow those waiting for heart transplant to survive and may improve their chances of surviving heart surgery.